360 global firms gather at COEX for 2026 Global Talent Fair

A large-scale job fair bringing together opportunities at foreign-invested companies, overseas employers and domestic firms recruiting international students opened in Seoul on Sunday.

KOTRA announced Sunday that the 2026 Global Talent Fair (GTF), co-hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Employment and Labor and organized by KOTRA, opened at COEX in Seoul and runs through Monday.

A total of 360 companies are participating this year — 137 foreign-invested firms, 121 overseas companies and 100 firms seeking to hire international students. Some 18,000 young job seekers are expected to attend.

Twenty-six Fortune 500 companies, including Lam Research Korea, Bosch Korea, Schneider Electric Korea and Thermo Fisher Scientific Korea, are also taking part in a dedicated "Global 500 Zone," conducting recruitment consultations and company presentations.

Fifteen affiliated organizations are participating alongside the companies, including the Human Resources Development Service of Korea, the National Institute for International Education, Seocho District Office, the Sejong Job and Economy Promotion Agency, the Gyeonggi Province Job Foundation and the Financial Supervisory Service. Each organization is responsible for identifying companies with hiring needs and running employment support programs.

The fair's main focus this year is employment at AI technology companies. Eighty-six firms in semiconductors, secondary batteries, displays, future mobility, biotech and AI are participating in a dedicated advanced technology zone. Global foreign-invested companies based outside the Seoul metropolitan area — including Amkor Technology Korea and Aumo Bio Korea — are also on hand to recruit talent.

AI-powered job support programs are also running at the fair. An "AI Job Assistant Booth" analyzes job seekers' skills and desired roles to recommend suitable employers. A separate experience zone for international students lets them assess their business Korean proficiency using AI technology.

Career consulting for young returnees with overseas work experience is also available. The Human Resources Development Service of Korea is providing information on companies that give preferential hiring consideration to returnees and recently discharged military personnel. Kolmar Korea, a company that has returned to domestic operations, is participating in the international student recruitment fair to hire foreign talent.

A job concert featuring current and former employees and recruiters from global companies is also being held. The foreign-invested company session covers employment strategies in the global biotech and pharmaceutical industry and communication skills at global firms. The overseas employment session features people who have worked abroad sharing regional job strategies and hands-on experience. The international student session includes conversations with "sunbae," or senior employees who have already found jobs in Korea, company-specific recruitment briefings and guidance on visa systems.

Atlas Copco Group, a global foreign-invested company, is participating for the first time this year with eight of its group affiliates. Atlas Copco Korea and CP Tools Korea hired two employees through GTF last year.

"The Global Talent Fair is a place where our young people can find good jobs and pursue their dreams on a borderless global business stage," KOTRA President Kang Gyeong-seong said. "We will work closely with relevant organizations to ensure that companies can find the key talent to lead global markets, and that young people can find the best jobs suited to them."